Uric Acid Levels: Risks Directly Linked With High Uric Acid Levels

Uric acid builds up when the body makes too much of it or fails to excrete it. It is a waste product resulting from the metabolism of food. The level of uric acid in your blood can become elevated if your body produces too much or if it doesn't efficiently dispose of it. It is very important to keep your diet in check to avoid food that increases the uric acid content in the body. Uric acid is a byproduct that is produced when your body digests purines, which are chemicals found in foods. Asparagus, anchovies, red meats, sardines, herring, mussels and mushrooms are especially high in purines.

Risk Factors

Type 2 Diabetes

Being overweight can elevate your triglycerides and put you at risk for Type 2 diabetes, a disease that makes you susceptible to high uric acid levels. According to a study, done by head researcher Vidula Bhule and her team which was published in the American Journal of Medicine in October 2010, it was revealed that people who had higher uric acid levels were more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Uric acid is measured as milligrams per deciliter. For every 1 milligram per deciliter increase in uric acid, the risk of type 2 diabetes increased by 20 percent in the original study members and by 15 percent in their children.

According to Standford School of Medicine, a study that appeared online in August (2009) in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure, high levels of uric acid significantly increase your risk of developing heart failure later in life. 'After adjusting for a long list of variables including smoking, weight, kidney dysfunction, valvular heart disease, diabetes, alcohol use and use of anti-hypertensive medications, Eswar Krishnan, MD, assistant professor of immunology and rheumatology, found the incidence of heart failure rates was significantly higher among those with high uric acid levels.’

Sleep Trouble

Clinical research results indicate a positive relationship between sleep variables, including the presence of snoring, snorting, daytime sleepiness, and high serum uric acid levels.

Arthritis

High levels of uric acid in your bloodstream can cause gout, a painful arthritic condition that typically affects the big toe.